Madden Outdoor Education
Center
Madden Outdoor Education Center is located just a mile and a half from
the Taconic State Parkway and 6 miles from Rt. 84. Nestled on the backside
of the mountain that separates Madden from the Taconic, it is worlds
away from the noise and congestion one would expect in southeastern
New York State. The facility has a very rich history that has been dated
back to the early 1800’s. Currently, Madden sits on 120 acres
of second-generation forests. The landscape is primarily wooded and
contains large rock outcroppings, old stone fences, charcoal pits, a
historic cemetery, a pond, wetlands, a seasonal stream, and a rich diversity
of wildlife and birds. (Click here for
directions to Madden) (Click here
for a map to Madden)
Madden was donated to BOCES in 1971 by John and Jesse Madden who had
bought the property in 1928 as a summer and weekend place. After his
retirement from the advertising business in 1966, John and Jesse lived
on their property full time, and John was able to peruse his hobby of
sugar mapling. At the height of his operation, John’s hobby produced
up to 500 gallons of syrup a season. He named his sugaring company the
M & A Maple Sirup Company, for the two partners John Madden and
Bob Adams.
Because of a true love of the natural world, the Maddens donated their
land to BOCES so that their property would be maintained forever in
its present natural state and at the same time, serve as an educational
facility. In the early years of the program, John and Jesse personally
welcomed the busloads of children who arrived for their day at Madden.
In addition to the creation of the outdoor education program, a special
education program called Walden-in-the-Woods, was created at the facility.
John taught the teachers and students how to sugar and it was they who
ran the sugaring operation until the early 90’s.
There are a number of structures on the property that enhance the
natural surroundings. The main building is a colonial style barn that
was built in the early 1800's. Inside today, you will not find any animals,
but there is a conference center upstairs and a nature center downstairs.
The “old” Walden building, across from the barn, contains
additional teaching space and staff residence. The present staff house
was built on the site of the original home constructed by the early
settlers. Also on the property, brave teachers and students rest their
heads in our rustic, three-sided shelter, affectionately called the
Madden Marriott. Additionally, the original sugar house has been restored
and the modern sugaring house is mostly used for storage.
For the past thirty years, thousands of students have visited Madden,
sometime on a yearly basis. Some of our visiting teachers and parent
chaperones of today came to Madden as children and share their fond
memories of their experiences learning outdoors. Madden is truly part
of the psyche of our region. There is something about being there and
feeling the rich history of the land that makes people feel good about
the earth again.
Read about and/or register for our new
Summer Camp.
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These pictures provide views
of the buildings and the property at Madden.
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